Fibrous material and method of making the same.



i the Drawing.

ea s earn r110 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Atnrnr L. Caner, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements inTibrouslt laterials and Methods of Making the Same, of which thefollowingis a specification. A

The object of the present invention, broadly stated, is two-fold: first,to produce a soft porous absorbent felt-like material,

and, second, to utilize waste or scrap leather, which otherwise would beburned or unused commercially. A further object of the invention is toproduce a felt-lilre sheet material which can be used as the base orfoundation in the manufacture of wall poard, flooring, prepared roofingand the ilre.

According to my invention ll subject scrap leather to the action of abeating engine, with sufiicient water added, to disintegrate it into afibrous pulpy mass. Scrap leather of any kind may serve as the initialstock to be treated. The treatment of disintegration is continued untilthe fibrous ass is in condition to be run in a web onto a Fourdrinier orother equivalent form of pa err-making machine.

fter being reduced toa soft pulpy fibrous mass, 1 add to the stock asmall quantity of potassium or sodium bichromate,

. andv a small quantity of calcium hydroxid,

sodium carbonate or the like, partially to neutralize the tannic acid inthe leather, and to soften the fibers and render them absorbent whendry. The mixture is thoroughly beaten in the beating engine, and then byany suitable machine or apparatus is formed into sheets of the desirablethickness, and then run through drying rolls, much in the same mannerthat cellulose fiber orwood' pulp is formed into sheets of paper.

Preferably, ll addto the raw stock a quantity of cellulose fiber, suchas mixed waste paper, rags, wood pulp or the like.

As an example of the method of carrying out my process, ll may recitethe followin liload a beating engine with 1,000 ounds of leather scrap,and hlldp'ounds o waste equivalent prevents the leather Patented June1d, 101%..

Application one ne talent. term in. taste.

paper. Sufiicient water is added to allow the stock tov circulate in thebeater. The heater is then started in operation and the beating actionis continued until the stock is gradually beaten out or disintegratedinto a homogeneous pulpy fibrous state. The addition of the waste pa oror its bers from sinking or settling in the aqueous mixture. When thepulpy mass has reached a condition when itmay be run into a wet machineor into a Fourdrinier or other web- ,forming machine, I add to themixture 5% to by weight of bichromate of potash or soda, and about 2% ofsodium carbonate. After being thoroughly mixed in the beater, the massis then formed into sheets, either of predetermined or indeterminatelengths, and dried. Such sheets are relatively soft, porous orabsorbent, very much like wool felt. in this condition they aresaturated or impregnated with suitable compounds, such as Waxes, oils,pitches, asphalts, resins or the like, according to the particular useto which they are to be put. For example, when they are to be employedin the manufacture of prepared roofings, they may be saturated withasphalt or other equivalent hydrocarbon compounds, and then coated witha relatively high-melting-point pitch or asphalt.

If desired, during the treatment of the raw stock, it may be heated to atemperature of say, not over 110 F, immediately integrating scrapleather into a fine fibrous pulpy mass, adding-a softening agent andthen forming the mass into soft porous sheets of the desired thiclmess.

2. The herein described process of making felt for roofing whichconsists in disintegrating scrap leather and cellulose fiber into afibrous pulpy mass of the consistency of paper stock, adding a softeningagent soft admixture of cellulose, adding bichromate of soda or potashto the pulp, and then forming the pulp into soft porous absorbentsheets.

5. A felt-like sheet consisting essentially ent.

and a softemng agent, and which is soft, porous and absorbent.

6. A felt-like sheet consisting rincipally of thoroughly disintegratedleat er fiber, a softening agent, and intermingled cellulose, such sheeteing soft, porous, and absorb- 7. A felt of which the base isdisintegrated leather fiber, and having characteristics of porosity andabsor tion similar to those of a woolen or rag fe t.

8. A soft, spongy, springy material composed in large .measure ofdisintegrated leather fibers having united therewith the product ofreaction between sodium or potasr sium bichromate and tannic acid.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

ALBERT L. CLAPP.

of thoroughly disintegrated leather fiber

